§ Lord Campbell of Allowayasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the Hong Kong Government White Paper on representative government will be published.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Glenarthur)The Hong Kong Government White Paper on the development of representative government was published in Hong Kong earlier today. Copies of the White Paper have been placed in the Library of the House. The paper covers a range of issues connected with the development of representative government. The main decisions are that:
- (a) ten directly elected members will be introduced into the Legislative Council in 1991;
- (b) in 1988 the number of appointed members in the council will be reduced from 22 to 20, and the number of members elected by functional constituencies will increase from 12 to 14. In 1991 the present geographically-based electoral college system of election will be abolished, but the urban and regional councils will each continue to elect one member to the council;
- (c) links between the urban district boards and the urban council will be strengthened;
- (d) the Governor will continue to be the president of the Legislative Council for the immediate future.